Device for removing an outer sleeve from a rotatable tube

ABSTRACT

A device for removing an outer sleeve from the end of a rotatable pneumatic tube in order to permit a removal of the pneumatic tube from a hopper outlet. The outer sleeve extends outwardly beyond the adjacent end of the tube and has a pair of outwardly extending handles for rotation of the tube. The device or tool for removing the sleeve has a pair of pivotally mounted opposed arms, each arm including a pair of spaced side members and a lower connecting cross member extending between and secured to the side members, each arm adapted to fit over and receive between the side members an outwardly extending handle on the sleeve. A screw mounted for rotation on the tool has a circular plate which fits within the sleeve and abuts the end of the rotatable tube whereby upon rotation of the screw in one direction the arms pull the sleeve outwardly from the pneumatic tube.

United States Patent Dugge et al.

[54] DEVICE FOR REMOVING AN OUTER SLEEVE FROM A ROTATABLE TUBE [72] Inventors: Richard H. Dugge; John L. Carney,

, Jr., both of St. Louis County, Mo.

[73] Assignee: ACF Industries, Incorporated, New York, N.Y.

[58] Field of Search ..29/2'59, 260, 261, 258, 262, 29/266, 282; 254/100 15] 3,691,611 51 Sept. 19, 1972 Primary Examiner-Andrew R. .luhasz Assistant Examiner-J. C. Peters Attorney-Eugene N. Riddle 5 7] ABSTRACT A device for removing an outer sleeve from the end of a rotatable pneumatic tube in order to permit a removal of the pneumatic tube from a hopper outlet. The outer sleeve extends outwardly beyond the adjacent end of the tube and has a pair of outwardly extending handles for rotation of the tube. The device or tool for removing the sleeve has a pair of pivotally mounted opposed arms, each arm including a pair of spaced side members and a lower connecting cross member extending between and secured to the side members, each arm adapted to fit over and receive [56] References Cited between the side members an outwardly extending UNITED STATES PATENTS handle on the sleeve. A screw mounted for rotation on the tool has a circular plate which fits within the l,l3 1,868 3/1915 Rldlon ..29/26l Sleeve and abuts the end of the rotatable tube whereby 1,772,447 8/1930 Affolter ..29/26l upon rotation of the screw in one direction the arms 3,103,740 9/1963 Crenshaw ..29/261 pull the Sleeve outwardly f the pneumatic tube 1,701,699 2/1929 Smith ..29/259X 2 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures r 3 4a 52 v 4/ F 3 g W 44 in: 27

60 8 68 4 7 z 0 l l l l l l ll! 1/ l l ll l l l f l llb 70 4 5/46 ,4/ 26 20 a 64 42, i-z J PATENTEDSEP 1 m2 SHEEI 1 BF 2 INVENTORS. RICHARD H. DUGGE JOHN L. CARNEY JR.

ATTORNEY PAIENTEDsEP 19 am SHEET 2 BF 2 DEVICE FOR REMOVING AN OUTER SLEEVE FROM A ROTATABLE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Various devices have been employed heretofore to remove wheels and the like from hubs. Normally such devices comprise a member abutting the hub and a pair of pivoted arms to grip the wheel being removed from the hub so that upon rotation of a screw, the wheel is drawn or puiled outwardly of the hub. However, such devices have not been designed to fit about outwardly extending handles of the element being removed and to engage in a tight fitting relation the inner member being restrained against movement.

\ BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a tool or manually operated device for removing an outer sleeve from the end of a rotatable tube, the sleeve extending beyond the adjacent end of tube and having a pair of opposed outwardly extending handles for rotating the tube and sleeve in unison. The tool has a base and a pair of opposed arms pivotally mounted to the base, each arm having a pair of spaced side members and a lower connecting cross member extending between and secured to the side members. Each arm is adapted to fit over and receive between the side members an outwardly extending handle of the sleeve with the cross member engaging an inner surface of the associated handle. A screw mounted for rotation on the base has a I circular plate on one end which fits within the sleeve and abuts the end of the tube with an inner portion of the plate fitting within the tube. An end handle on the outer end of the screw is rotated manually whereby the cross members on the arms exert a pulling force on the handles thereby to draw the sleeve outwardly axially of the pneumatic tube upon rotation of the screw.

The invention accordingly comprises the constructions hereinafter described, the scope of the invention being indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which one of various possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated,

FIG. 1 is a section of a portion of a pneumatic outlet in which a rotatable pneumatic tube is mounted for the pneumatic discharge of lading from the outlet with thetube being mounted within an outer sleeve for rotation therewith;

FIG..2 is a section similar to FIG. 1 but showing an end cap removed from the end of the sleeve and a tool comprising the present invention being positioned for removing the sleeve from the tube;

FIG. 3 is a section similar to FIG. 2 but showing the sleeve after it has been pulled or drawn outwardly relative to the rotatable pneumatic tube;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the tool for'removing the sleeve shown removed from the outlet; and

FIG. 5 is a top. plan of the tool shown in FIG. 4.

Referring to the drawings for a better understanding of this invention, a hopper is generally indicated 10 having a lower flange 12. A bottom outlet structure generally indicated 14 has an upper mounting flange 16 secured to lower flange 12. A rotatable tube 18 is mounted within outlet 14 and is supported adjacent its ends by outer sleeves 20. Set screw 22 secures sleeves 20 and tube 18 to each other for rotation in unison. An

outer ring 24 is secured to the end of outlet 14 and a bearing 26 mounts sleeve 20 and tube 18 for rotation.

Extending outwardly from opposed sides of sleeve 20 is a handle 27 having an outturned portion 28. An end adapter 30 forms the end portion of sleeve 20 and an end cap 32 fits over the end of adapter 30. An O-ring 34 provides a tight fit between end cap 32 and sleeve 20. A bracket 36 is pivoted at 38 adjacent one end thereof to flange 16 and has its other end pivoted at 40 to end cap 32. End cap 32 may be removed from adapter 30 and swung about bracket 36 away from the end of sleeve 20. End cap 32 has opposed extending lugs (not shown) which carry releasable fasteners which fit within openings 41 on handles 27 and may be twisted tight about cam surfaces or lugs 42 extending from the inner surfaces of handles 27.

To discharge lading pneumatically, cap 32 is first released from handles 27 by the release of the fasteners (not shown), is then pulled outwardly and swung about bracket 36 to be removed from the outer end of sleeve 20. Then, a suitable pneumatic hose may be mounted about adapter 30 and the lading withdrawn pneumatically. It is to be understood that the other opposite end of tub 18 is arranged similarly to that shown in FIG. 1.

At times it is desirable to remove tube 18 for repair or to gain access to the interior of the outlet structure without the removal of bottom outlet structure 14. To do this, it is necessary to first remove sleeve 20 from the adjacent end of tube 18 and then to slip the tube longitudinally from the outlet. It is somewhat difficult to remove sleeve 20 manually as it is usually tightly mounted about tube 18.

The present invention is directed to a tool or device to remove sleeve 20 from pneumatic tube 18 in order to permit a withdrawal or removal of tube 18 from the bottom of outlet structure 14 for repair or access to the interior of outlet structure 14. The tool is indicated generally bythe numeral 44 and includes a main body or base 46. Arms generally indicated 50 are pivoted at 52 to base 46. Each arm comprises a pair of parallel side members 54 connected by a lower cross member 56. Lower cross member 56 is secured between vertical members 54 and has a notch 58 therein adapted to receive the cam surfaces 42 on the inner surface of associated handle 27. An internally threaded hub 60 is provided on base 46 and an externally threaded screw 62 is received within hub 60. An end handle 64 on the outer end of screw 62 may be manually gripped for rotation of screw 62. A circular abutment plate 66 is secured on the inner end of screw 62 by cotter pin 68. Plate 66 has an inner portion 70 of a reduced diameter to fit within tube 18 and an outer portion 72 of a diameter generally equal to the outer diameter of tube 18 to fit against the outer end of tube 18.

To remove sleeve 20 from tube 18, end cap 32 isfirst removed from the adjacent end of sleeve 20 and swung to a remote position. Set screw 22 is removed. Then, plate 66 is inserted within tube 18 to abut the outer end of tube 18. Next, arms 50 are swung about the extending handles 27 with cross members 56 engaging the inner surfaces of handles 27. Next, end handle 64 is rotated to exert an outward pulling force on arms 50 thereby pulling handles 27 outwardly along with sleeve 20 and adapter 30 as shown in FIG. 3. Once sleeve 20 has been removed from the end of tube 18, tube 18 may be pulled from the end of outlet 14 after set screw 22 between sleeve 20 and tube 18 on the opposite end of the outlet has been removed.

We claim:

1. A manually operated tool for removing from the end of a rotatable tube an outer sleeve extending beyond the end of the tube and having a pair of opposed outwardly extending side handles for rotating the tube, said tool comprising a generally rectangular base plate adapted to be positioned adjacent the outer end of the sleeve and extending outwardly from the sleeve, a pair of opposed arms pivotally mounted to said base plate outwardly of the sleeve each arm including a pair of generally parallel spaced side members and a lower connecting cross member extending between and secured to the side members, each arm adapted to fit over and receive between the side members one of said outwardly extending handles on the sleeve and said cross member abutting against an inner surface of the associated handle for exerting a pulling force on the handle and associated sleeve, and a screw mounted for rotation on said base plate having a circular plate on one end adapted to fit within the sleeve and an end handle on the other end thereof adapted to be gripped for rotation of the screw and movement of the circular plate, said circular plate having a reduced diameter inner portion less than the inner diameter of the tube and adapted to fit within the tube, and an enlarged diameter outer portion greater than the outer diameter of the tube and adapted to abut the end of the tube, said base plate and said arms moving in an outward direction axially of the rotatable tube to pull the handles and associated sleeve in an axial direction relative to the tube upon manual gripping of the end handle and rotation of the screw in one direction when said circular plate is received within the sleeve and abuts the end of the tube.

2. A manually operated tool as set forth in claim 1 wherein the cross member on each arm has a notch therein adapted to receive a lug on the associated handle. 

1. A manually operated tool for removing from the end of a rotatable tube an outer sleeve extending beyond the end of the tube and having a pair of opposed outwardly extending side handles for rotating the tube, said tool comprising a generally rectangular base plate adapted to be positioned adjacent the outer end of the sleeve and extending outwardly from the sleeve, a pair of opposed arms pivotally mounted to said base plate outwardly of the sleeve each arm including a pair of generally parallel spaced side members and a lower connecting cross member extending between and secured to the side members, each arm adapted to fit over and receive between the side members one of said outwardly extending handles on the sleeve and said cross member abutting against an inner surface of the associated handle for exerting a pulling force on the handle and associated sleeve, and a screw mounted for rotation on said base plate having a circular plate on one end adapted to fit within the sleeve and an end handle on the other end thereof adapted to be gripped for rotation of the screw and movement of the circular plate, said circular plate having a reduced diameter inner portion less than the inner diameter of the tube and adapted to fit within the tube, and an enlarged diameter outer portion greater than the outer diameter of the tube and adapted to abut the end of the tube, said base plate and said arms moving in an outward direction axially of the rotatable tube to pull the handles and associated sleeve in an axial direction relative to the tube upon manual gripping of the end handle and rotation of the screw in one direction when said circular plate is received within the sleeve and abuts the end of the tube.
 2. A manually operated tool as set forth in claim 1 wherein the cross member on each arm has a notch therein adapted to receive a lug on the associated handle. 